Ricebirds fall to CAC 48-40 in season opener

Wednesday

Sep 4, 2013 at 2:56 PM

The game saw 84 total points scored, 47 first downs, and 877 yards in total offense.

Cole Sherman

It has been exactly 270 days since the Stuttgart Ricebirds left the gridiron for the 2012 season with a championship in Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium. Last night, the Birds paid another visit to the state’s capital city by participating in the First Security Bank-The Buzz Kickoff Classic to open the 2013 regular season against the Mustangs of Central Arkansas Christian. Unfortunately, Stuttgart fell to the Mustangs by a final score of 48-40.

To say that the fans who filed into the grand old lady of central Arkansas were entertained is vastly underscoring the incredible effort and intensity shown by both teams. The game saw 84 total points scored, 47 first downs, and 877 yards in total offense. Stuttgart would showcase a dominant rushing attack led by quarterback Malik Brasfield who carried the ball 21 times for 138 yards. CAC would counter Stuttgart’s ground game with an aerial assault that saw Mustang quarterback Jack Thomas complete 27 of 46 passes for 363 yards and six touchdowns. In total, Stuttgart piled up 375 yards rushing to go with 99 yards through the air.

In addition to CAC’s 363 yards passing, they also rushed for 40 yards.

Stuttgart received the opening kickoff and promptly began moving the football on the legs of Brasfield and senior running back Tyler Luster. Brasfield capped the Birds seven play opening drive at the 9:58 mark of the first quarter by going over the goal line from one yard out. The point after attempt was no good and Stuttgart led 6-0.

CAC would strike back with 6:50 left in the first quarter with a Thomas pass to Mustang Wide receiver Adam Weiner. Thomas to Weiner would be an all too common theme on this night.

The ensuing point after would make the score 7-6 in favor of CAC. With 2:12 left in the opening quarter Ricebird junior running back Jacob Clawson finished a five play drive with an eight yard touchdown run. Stuttgart would fail on a two-point try and the first quarter would end with Stuttgart leading 12-7

The second quarter would commence with Stuttgart in the middle of what became a 10 play drive, began when junior defensive back Carter Ward intercepted Thomas at the CAC 47 yard line. Stuttgart would make the CAC 25 yard line before turning the ball over on downs. Both teams traded punts for the next four possessions before CAC broke through with a Thomas to Weiner 40-yard touchdown pass. The duo would connect again on the two-point try. Following a Ricebird fumble and a CAC punt the half would end with CAC leading Stuttgart 15-12.

CAC struck first in the third quarter when Thomas hit Stephan Flanigan with a 14-yard touchdown pass. The Mustang place kicker missed the PAT and Stuttgart trailed 21-12. That nine point deficit lasted just over four minutes until Luster rumbled 14 yards for a Ricebird score. The 10 play drive that began at the Stuttgart 30 yard line saw runs by Brasfield, Tyiiereek Walker, Jackson Kennedy and of course Luster. The PAT was no good and Stuttgart trailed 21-18. CAC answered quickly with a 13-yard Thomas to Flanigan connection. The PAT made the score CAC 28, Stuttgart 18. Of course the quarter could not end without another long drive from the Birds. With 3:15 remaining in the third quarter, Stuttgart began marching the ball down the field. First, a 15-yard carry by Jackson Kennedy on a jet sweep, two carries by Brasfield for seven yards, Luster for four, Walker for 10, Brasfield again for 19 and then eight, and finally with 0:24 remaining in the quarter, Luster toted the football the final two yards for yet another Stuttgart score. Stuttgart would finally convert on a two-point try and the quarter ended with CAC holding a slim 28-26 lead.

At the beginning of the fourth quarter all fans in attendance had more than gotten their money’s worth in watching these two teams battle it out. Amazingly however, the excitement was far from over. The fourth quarter would see eight drives between the two teams, five of which ended in touchdowns. CAC began the fourth quarter scoring frenzy with a one-yard touchdown carry to make the score CAC 34, Stuttgart 26. A Stuttgart fumble would give CAC the ball again at the Ricebird 31 yard line. One play later CAC would lead 41-26.

It would have been easy for Stuttgart’s athletes to pack it in after CAC went up 15 points. That was not the case on this night however. Stuttgart would once again turn to its punishing ground game. On the backs of Brasfield and Walker, Stuttgart would march 61 yards on six plays and score with 7:24 remaining in the game. Kennedy’s PAT would make the score 41-33. CAC struck again on the first play of its ensuing drive with another Thomas to Weiner touchdown connection. The PAT made the score 48-33. Refusing to yield, Stuttgart began yet another scoring drive. Five plays and 45 yards later the score was CAC 48, Stuttgart 40 thanks to a Luster four-yard touchdown run and a Kennedy PAT.

Since forcing CAC to punt in the closing minutes of the first half, the Ricebird defense had not forced a Mustang punt during the entire second half. That would change. A Ricebird defense that had struggled in stopping CAC all night would rise up to the challenge when it mattered most, forcing CAC into a three and out and getting the Ricebird offense back on the field with 2:50 left in the game.

Stuttgart faced its worst field position of the night to begin the final drive, beginning at its own eight yard line. The drive was very stagnant until Ricebird offensive coordinator Josh Smith called Kennedy’s number on a wide receiver screen that moved the ball close to midfield. The play was sprung by a superb knockdown block by senior offensive lineman Cody Cooper. Trailing by eight, Stuttgart mixed in all sorts of running plays to move the ball to the CAC 23 yard line. That would be as far as Stuttgart could get on this night however. The ball would be turned over on downs with 0:51 remaining in the game.

The Stuttgart Ricebirds would fall on this night, however their loss in no way was a result of a lack of effort. Stuttgart played 48 minutes of football as hard as any team possibly could. At the end of the night, turnovers and penalties would loom as costly as the 363 passing yards CAC was able to produce.

The senior Ricebirds next take the field Friday, Sept. 13, at Ned Mosley Stadium to take on the Blazers of Valley View. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.